Making It Through
by smile-clarenet
Summary: The new season has arrived, but all is not as it seems in Radiator Springs. Doc quickly realises something is bothering Lightning, but Lightning's not the only one with something on his mind. Loose sequel to Per Chance.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** Effectively, this is just a (hopefully) better version of Family Ties. I have changed a few details, and the way the story ends. I am also going to be working on Quest for the Cup and Staying Strong, as well as renaming those two like I have done with this one. On the topic of renaming, I'm taking this opportunity to thank Parchment Quill over at Fiction Central for coming up with the title. It really fits with the new story. I'm still working on the ending, so I can't say how often the updates will be taking place.

_Disclaimer: I do not own Cars._

* * *

**Making It Through**

**Chapter 1**

Lightning McQueen sped across the finish line with a grin plastered on his face. The new Piston Cup season had started just three weeks ago, and he'd just come in second place behind Chick Hicks. It hadn't been easy either. The two stock cars were battling each other for first place the whole time, and more than once one or the other had been forced into the wall or onto the grass. Chick seemed spurred on by his win at the end of last season, despite not having many, if any, fans after that final race. Four hundred laps against the green #86 car had really taken it out of Lightning.

The grin stayed on his face as he rolled into the pit lane and stopped by his team.

"Hey, that was a great race, boss. Congrats on the second." The large, red rig greeted him.

"Thanks, Mack."

Lightning let Guido and Luigi change his tyres and waited patiently while Fillmore topped his fuel up. He felt Doc's eyes on him the whole time, which wasn't quite normal, but then neither was the slight ache behind his left front tyre.

"You okay, kid?"

"Yeah, I'm fine, just a bit tired. Chick never makes racing easy." Lightning looked up at his crew chief and friend. That time in the previous season, he would have just completed his first race without a crew chief. He'd gone through three or four before he found Doc.

"You ran well out there, but we need to get you back in shape ready for the next race."

"I know, Doc."

The Hudson Hornet continued to watch him for a moment.

"You sure you're all right, kid? You took some hard knocks out there today."

"I'll be fine. I could just do with some sleep."

"I'm not surprised," Doc turned to Mack, "Go on ahead, we'll clear up here and follow on. Sheriff said he'd meet you outside."

Mack nodded and led Lightning across the pits to where the trailers were parked. He waited while the racer got into the trailer and shut the door before hooking himself onto the trailer.

Inside the trailer, Lightning dozed off almost before the trailer door was closed. He was soon sleeping deeply, and didn't even notice when Mack set off.

Meanwhile in the pits, Doc watched them leaving before he turned to the rest of the crew. He had a feeling something was wrong with Lightning, something that wasn't just tiredness.

By the time the team got back to Radiator Springs it was dark. Mack parked the trailer by the café and went to open the door. It was very quiet in the back for the entire journey.

* * *

Within half an hour Doc and the rest of the crew returned. They gathered in Flo's Café, the best place to discuss the race with the cars that hadn't gone to the track. Doc looked around when Sally arrived.

"Where's Lightning?" He looked worried.

"I know where he is." Mack spoke up from the side. "He looked kind of peaceful. I didn't want to disturb him."

Doc followed the semi back to the motel. A smile crept onto his face when he saw the sleeping racecar.

"Let's leave him be. We can always get Mater to tow him into his room later."

* * *

"Stickers? Hey, Stickers?"

Lightning blinked wearily in the bright sunlight. He yawned widely as his surroundings came into focus.

"Hey, Sally." He looked passed her, expecting to see the open door of his trailer, and instead looking through the open door of his Cozy Cone. "How did I get here?"

"Mater towed you in here last night. Doc's orders." Sally replied casually. "We all thought you could do with remaining undisturbed. You looked really tired after the race yesterday. We decided you should be left to sleep it off."

"Whose we?"

"Well, me, Doc and Mack mostly."

_So Doc is more concerned that he was telling yesterday. _Lightning thought, used to his mentor's strange way of showing his feelings. He smiled at Sally and thanked her.

"Don't mention it." Sally backed out of the room.

Lightning followed her slowly. He often found he was a bit stiff the day after a tough race.

He'd been living in Radiator Springs just over a year, and loved it. There he had found his first real friends, with the help of Sheriff, Sally and Doc. Mater was the first to befriend him, and they had remained good friends ever since.

"What are you thinking about?" Sally noticed the dreamy expression on Lightning's face.

"I was just thinking about when I first came here. I though I'd be stuck here forever, I never even considered living here until…well, until you took me up to Wheel Well."

"It's a nice place, full of nice cars."

"Yeah, not the 'hillbilly hell' I first thought." Lightning agreed. "Why don't we take a drive up to Wheel Well? We've hardly spent any time together recently."

"Um, well the thing is, Doc wants you to rest after yesterday's race." Sally looked uncomfortable. "He said you took some hard knocks from Chick."

"Ah come on, I'm fine."

"Doc _is_ your doctor." Sally said, before adding, "And your crew chief."

"And I'm not racing at the moment."

"Look, he knows what he's doing. He's Doc Hudson after all – "

"The Fabulous Hudson Hornet, yeah, I know." Lightning interrupted. He'd heard it all before.

"Look, why don't we just drive up and down the street for a bit if you're that desperate?"

"It's not the same. I want open spaces, just you and me." Lightning sighed, gazing at the tourists flocking into the various shops around the town. A small queue had already formed outside Doc's clinic.

"Yeah, I know. Sorry, Stickers, but you wouldn't be the only one in trouble if you disobey Doc. I've got strict orders to keep you off the road."

"I guess I'll just have to obey him then." Lightning turned to face Sally, a soppy look forming on his face.

She laughed, grinning broadly as he drew closer to her.

"McQueen and Sally, parked beneath a tree – "

"Mater!" Lightning jumped and span around.

Sally laughed again. "Nice timing, Mater."

"I swear there's more than one of him sometimes," Lightning grumbled playfully as Mater drove off, laughing as he went. A small grin on Lightning's face gave him away. "He may be my best mate, but he can get seriously annoying sometimes."

"That's Mater for you." Sally glanced along the street at the Curio shop. "Lizzie can be annoying sometimes too, but I wouldn't change either of them."

"I know what you mean," Lightning drove up to the road and paused at the end of the street, content to look through the town for a while. "I wouldn't want to change any of this." He sighed happily, watching the cars driving along the road with ease.

The road was well cared for now that customers had returned. Of course, most of it was down to four Delinquent Road Hazards that often gave Sheriff a reason to chase after them with his sirens going.

The town was kept clean too, and the buildings were regularly redecorated, even the ones not in use. The pretty flowers along the side of the road were thanks to Red, and Guido and Luigi donated the old tyres they were in.

"Why don't we go for a drink at Flo's?" Sally suggested after a while. "I know it's not exactly going for a drive, but we can still spend time together, right?"

"I want to say last one there buys, but I don't think Doc would be too happy, or Sheriff."

"I wouldn't suggest it, kid." Doc pulled up to the pair in time to hear Lightning's comment. "Sally, we're needed in traffic court. Sheriff brought a couple of troublemakers in last night."

"Okay, Doc." She turned to Lightning as the Hudson drove off. "Sorry, Stickers, looks like the drink will have to wait."

Lightning shrugged. Since customers had returned to the town, traffic court had been very busy. It meant Sally, as the town attorney, and Doc frequently had to change the times of his clinic because of his judge duties.

As Sally followed Doc, Lightning turned and headed towards Willy's Butte. He drove slowly, enjoying the freedom. Despite having lived in Radiator Springs for a while, he still loved the surroundings. It was vastly different from the city, and he had so much more that he had done.

When he got to the Butte he sat in the shade of a large cactus and let his mind drift and wander freely.

"Hey, kid, what are doing out here?" A voice interrupted his thoughts some time later.

"Just thinking." Lightning replied.

"Sally's looking for you. Something about a drink I think."

Lightning turned to head back with Doc and stopped.

"Listen, Doc…thanks. Thanks for everything."

"You've helped a lot of cars in this town, it's only fair that we help you in return. It's thanks to you that we're back on the map."

* * *

"Stickers? McQueen?" Sally's gentle voice roused Lightning from his stupor.

"Eh, what?" He shook his head to clear it.

"Are you feeling okay? You've been really quiet all day." Sally peered at him from the stall next door.

"I'm fine, Sal." He glanced at her. "I'm just tired."

"Are you sure that's all? You've hardly touched your dinner."

"I'm sure," Lightning yawned widely. "I think I'm going to head back, get an early night."

Sally watched him closely as he drove off down the street.

"Maybe you should take a look at him, Doc. Something doesn't seem quite right."

"I'm keeping an eye on him, Sally. Why don't you go with him?" Doc said, returning to his own dinner.

Sally shot a grateful smile in his direction and shot after Lightning.

As the sky faded from inky-blue to black and darkness crept in on them, the other cars began to head off one by one until the town was almost silent. Soon all the neon signs were turned off, and the only lights visible along the road were at the junction.

Doc was just about to turn in for the night when Sally crashed through the doors of his clinic.

"Sally, what – "

"You've got to help, Doc, please!" She gasped. "Something's really wrong."

"Go and wake Mater. I'll meet you at the cone." He said, calmly and firmly.

She nodded, biting back tears, and sped off down the road. It was a good job Sheriff wasn't around. Even in urgent situations, the old patrol car didn't like speeding.

* * *

**Author's Note:** This first chapter might seem pretty much the same as the original version, but from here the changes are going to appearing. They might not be obvious, but they are definitely there.

To anyone waiting for me to update Staying Strong - you won't have to wait too much longer.


	2. Chapter 2

_Disclaimer: Don't own Cars, but I do own Jason Brooke. If you want to use him, ask me first, okay?_

* * *

**Making It Through**

Doc drove straight to Lightning's room. The young car was lying on the floor with his tyres beneath him. His eyes had a far away look about them, but it didn't stop them following Doc across the room.

"It'll be alright, kid. Sally's gone to get Mater." Doc put a tyre on Lightning's side. He noticed Lightning seemed to be having trouble breathing normally and made a note to check his engine. "You'll be okay."

They sat in silence, waiting anxiously for Sally to return with Mater. Doc never moved his tyre from Lightning's side, and it seemed to calm the racer enough to ease his breathing a little.

The wait felt like it went on forever, but finally Sally was back with a sleepy Mater.

"Watcha need?" Mater slurred.

"You're not too drunk to tow Lightning to my surgery are you?" Doc asked Mater.

" 'M not drunk." Mater protested, still slurring his words.

"Just tow Lightning to my surgery, and for heaven's sake be careful." Doc ordered, trying not to sound too annoyed. The little tow truck was quite sensitive sometimes.

* * *

Doc sat huddled in a dark corner of his operating room. He'd been up all night with Lightning, too scared to go to sleep just in case something happened that needed urgent attention. Light was beginning to creep into the room through the windows high on the wall as sunrise approached and weariness drew ever closer.

_Surely five minutes outside won't hurt. _He thought, checking the vital signs yet again. They had levelled out nicely within fifteen minutes, but he was still worried about the car.

He rolled out into the early morning light and along the road a short way to stretch his wheels.

"Doc!"

The soft call from behind him got his attention. He turned around in the middle of the road, recognising the light blue Porsche that was hurrying towards him. She looked how he felt, strained and very tired.

"How's Lightning doing?" Sally asked the moment she drew level with him.

"He's still out of it, though he is looking a lot better."

"What was wrong with him?"

"He had a bit of engine trouble. I expect it happened in the race initially, though it didn't show up straight away."

"Is going to be okay?"

"Only time will tell." Doc sighed. "I don't know how long the repairs will hold out. I just hope it's going to be enough to get him through this season. He might need more permanent repairs if he's going to carry on racing."

Sally fell silent beside him. Doc knew she was worried about Lightning; they had become very close over the months they'd been together.

"I suppose I should go back to him. I only came out for a bit of fresh air."

"Doc…can I come with you?"

Doc eyed the Porsche for a moment. "Sure, just keep out the way."

Sally stopped just inside the entrance to the operating room as the doors swung shut behind her. The sight of any car on the lift got to her, but it was ten times worse when it was one of her closest friends. She rolled forwards carefully and gently kissed Lightning.

"Hang in there, Stickers." She whispered.

Doc watched with a tear in his eye. The two young cars reminded him of the first time he'd fallen in love, but if wasn't meant to be with him. The girl moved away with her family and he went on to race in the Piston Cup.

* * *

Lightning groaned weakly. He was vaguely aware of something beeping somewhere nearby, but didn't think it was that important. He slowly opened his eyes, squinting in the bright light.

"Welcome back, kid. How are you feeling?"

"Doc?" Lightning looked around the room, clearly confused. "Why am I in here?"

"You had some engine trouble. Most likely from the head on crash with the wall."

"Hey, that wasn't my fault." Lightning protested.

"I know. Just take it easy for a while."

"How long?"

"A couple of weeks, maybe. We'll have to see how your recovery goes."

"A couple of – oh jeez." Lightning groaned again.

"You just stay there and rest. I'll be back in a little while." Doc disappeared through the swing doors, leaving Lightning quite alone in the room.

* * *

The inhabitants of Radiator Springs were gathered at Flo's. It was too early in the day for visitors, but even so, the town had been unnaturally quiet since Mater had towed Lightning through it at almost midnight two nights ago. Sally was easily the quietest of the lot, and Red hadn't been seen since that night. Doc suspected he was hiding in the fire station.

Doc paused in the road near the café and observed the quiet group for a moment. They seemed to be oblivious to the noisy visitors. Sarge and Fillmore had taken a break from their arguments over Fillmore's Organic Fuel, Mater hadn't attempted any jokes on the others, Guido and Luigi had left off the white wall tyres…it wasn't natural. He rolled over to join them.

"Doc! Haven't seen you for a couple of days. How's Lightning?" Flo was the first to see him. She quickly grabbed a can of oil and handed it to him.

"He's okay. Tired, but alive. He was awake a few minutes ago. He won't be in the next race though; he needs time to recover."

"Sally should be pleased, that he's awake I mean."

Doc looked around his friends. He knew where Sheriff was, and possibly where Red was, but Sally?

"Say, where is Sally?"

"I saw her heading out of town a couple of hours ago." Fillmore drawled.

"Thanks. I should go and tell her Lightning's going to be okay." Doc nodded gratefully to the VW and carefully reversed out of the café.

* * *

Sally sat at the top of the cliff watching how the sun cast pretty shadows over the landscape as it rose higher in the sky. She'd left before dawn, seeking solitude that she couldn't get in the town. She knew the others would be wondering where she was, but she also knew they could find her if they needed her. She sighed quietly and reversed into the shade.

The Wheel Well Motel was quiet at the moment, but it wouldn't be long before cars began to arrive or leave.

"Hello, Sally."

She looked up to find Doc Hudson watching her.

"How's Lightning? He's not – "

"He's very much alive. He was awake not so long ago. I don't think he liked me telling him he's got to rest for a couple of weeks though."

"I can imagine." Sally grinned.

"Fillmore said he saw you come out here a couple of hours ago. Is something wrong?"

"No. I wanted some time alone. It's hard to get it with everyone in the town. I came out here to think."

"I expect Lightning would be happy to see you." Doc yawned widely.

Sally noticed and studied his face. "When was the last time you got some sleep?"

"I don't really know. The last couple of days have merged together."

"It's probably time we headed back anyway."

They drove along the road in silence for a while. Sally glanced at Doc every so often, while he pretended not to notice until they were almost upon the town.

"Okay, Sally, what do you want to ask me?" Doc asked lightly.

"I was just wondering how you ended up out here. I mean you were a big racer, why settle way out here?"

"You know I crashed?"

Sally nodded.

"When I'd been put back together, I went back. They told me I was history. They turned their backs on me, so I turned my back on them. I left the stadium and just drove. I wasn't doing too well by the time I got out here. I don't really know what made me stop here. I had a rough time of it at first, but Sheriff and Jason were good to me."

"Who's Jason?"

"He was the doctor then. I've not spoken to him for a while. He moved to the city a long time ago. Sheriff and Jason really helped me to sort my life out. Jason knew who I was, but he never said anything. When he moved away, I was just a normal car…at least until Lightning turned up." Doc sighed. "I had family problems. I got hurt pretty badly. I think that was why I crashed in the first place. In a way, Lightning reminded me of what I had before that race."

"He has helped though, hasn't he?"

"He's helped everyone. I'm able to face the racing world again, and the town is doing so much better because he's chosen to live here. He's brought life back to this old town."

They paused at the edge of the town. Sally's eyes were drawn to the newest building, not quite completed yet – Lightning's Racing Headquarters.

"Thanks, Doc." Sally smiled at him and drove off towards the Cozy Cone motel.

Somehow Doc knew she would be open for business again that day. A lot of cars were disappointed the day before when they found the motel closed. He turned the other way and went into his surgery, stopping just inside the building. Lightning was sleeping peacefully. As he crept passed, trying not to wake the racer, he whispered gentle words to him.

"Thank you, Lightning, for everything."

* * *

**Author's Note:** A few subtle alterations in that one. I've mentioned Jason Brooke in a few other fanfics, particularly in A Hidden Past. He also appears in Quest for the Cup (soon to become Staying Strong), and Staying Strong (soon to become Holding On).


	3. Chapter 3

_Disclaimer: Don't own Cars._

* * *

**Making It Through**

Lightning rolled out of Doc's surgery some three days later, feeling stiff and sore.

"Now remember what I said, hotrod. No racing, no fast driving, and definitely no revving your engine for the rest of the week. You can take a drive but go easy. If you get too sore just stop and rest until you feel better. I don't want to see Mater hauling you in here again." Doc followed the younger racer into the sunlight.

"I know, Doc."

"We'll start working you back into racing in a week or so, as long as you go easy this week."

Lightning nodded. As much as he wanted to protest, he trusted Doc's judgement. The Hudson reversed back into his surgery, leaving Lightning sitting in the bright parking lot.

_I suppose they'll be at Flo's._ He thought, and headed slowly in that direction, eager to make up for lost time with Sally.

* * *

The weekend found Lightning watching Lizzie's old television with Sally, Mater and the rest of his friends. The third race of the season had arrived, but Lightning wasn't racing. Doc had told him a few days before that he still wasn't fit enough.

" – _And with half an hour left before the race starts, there's still no sign of Lightning McQueen, one of last year's rookies._"

"_I don't think anyone will be forgetting last season in a hurry, Darrell. We had some spectacular racing from McQueen. This season hasn't started off quite so well for him, but after that tiebreaker, I don't think anyone will mind._"

Images flashed across the screen showing Guido's incredibly fast pit stop, Doc sitting atop the Crew Chief's podium with the rest of the team gathered around him, and Lightning pushing The King across the finish line after Chick wrecked him.

"Chick is going to be unbearable." Lightning muttered.

"We'll face that when the time comes. First you need to get back into shape." Doc said as he pulled up beside Lightning.

" – _Let's just hope McQueen hasn't gone missing again._"

Chick seemed to be encouraged by Lightning's failure to show up. Within the first ten minutes of the race, Lightning had seen enough. He turned away from the town and drove off, wishing he was able to get on the track and race.

Sally caught Doc's eye and sped off after the red racecar. The only reason why she really watched the races was because of Lightning. Mostly she didn't care an awful lot.

She caught up with him at Willy's Butte, where he was glaring at the stone column in the middle of the dirt track. She slowed down as she approached, giving him time to see or hear her. He'd seemed down all day, and now seemed to slump on his tyres.

"You miss racing, don't you?"

"Yeah."

"There's always the next race."

"Chick's probably going to slaughter me. There's no way I can be ready for the next race in time."

"Think positively, Stickers. You'll be fine. You've got the whole of Radiator Springs behind you."

Lightning stared at the sand beneath his tyres. He'd never seen a high speed crash up close until the end of last season. It had left him somewhat apprehensive about racing, and about being near Chick. It had been Chick who'd cause The King to crash after all.

_I went back expecting a big welcome. You know what they told me? 'You're history', moved right on to the next rookie standing in line._ Doc's voice seemed to echo in Lightning's mind. _My career could be over before it's even begun. _He continued to stare at the sand, hardly hearing the arrival of another car.

"The race is finished, son." Sheriff spoke softly.

"Chick won, didn't he?" Lightning asked, knowing the answer before he'd even voiced the question.

"He did." Doc confirmed as Sally backed away. "I know you're nervous about racing, kid. Chick may be a nasty piece of work, but you can easily put him in his place. Don't let him get to you."

_Too late_, Lightning thought miserably, turning to follow the other three back into the town.

* * *

"Come on, kid, two more laps. It's not much to ask. You've got to get your stamina up."

"I've got to stop, Doc," Lightning panted. "I can't go on much longer."

"One more lap then. You want to beat Chick don't you?"

"No, Doc. I can't." Lightning skidded to a stop beside his crew chief, panting hard after the tough training session.

"You've been listening." Doc observed while Lightning recovered. "Let's take a slow lap."

The two cars set off around the oval track at a steady pace.

"You're doing well." Doc said, but there was something in his voice that made Lightning not quite believe him.

"You don't think I'm going to be ready, do you?"

"There's still time, kid. You've been doing really well lately. Just give it a bit longer."

"Do you know if Luigi's got my spare racing tyres in yet?" Lightning asked after a short pause.

"We can check with him when we get back."

"Just as long as they're not white walls."

Doc chuckled. Luigi and white wall tyres went together like Guido and pit stops.

* * *

The night before the fourth race arrived, Doc permitted Lightning to a short race at Willy's Butte after a quick check up. He made it easy on the younger racer, knowing he was still struggling with his fitness.

"How did that feel?" He asked once they were both over the finish line.

"Pretty good." Lightning replied with a genuine smile on his face. The first any of them had seen for a few weeks.

"You should be okay in the race tomorrow, kid. Don't be afraid to pull out if you have to. We'll all be there with you." Doc glanced at Lightning as they headed back to the town.

"Thanks, Doc. I couldn't do this alone."

"You did last season."

"Yeah, and we both know I would never have got through that last race if you hadn't shown up."

Doc raised a windshield. He was almost sure the reason for the lack of concentration was due to a certain blue Porsche that resided at the Cozy Cone motel.

"You should get some rest, kid. Tomorrow's really going to test you."

* * *

It was getting late when Sally decided it was time for bed. She drove back to the Cozy Cone motel and paused outside cone number one. She could hear moaning coming from inside. She opened the door; just wanting to check Lightning was okay. He was asleep, but it didn't look very peaceful.

Lightning was driving around the racetrack as though his life depended on it. There were another fifty laps in the race when he shot into the pits for fresh tyres and more fuel. He rejoined the race behind the green #86 car. Next moment he was ahead of Chick.

"_Oh no you don't."_

_Something slammed into his back left wheel, throwing him towards the grass. His front tyres caught the gravel at the edge of the track, tossing him high into the air. He flipped and rolled several times before coming to a stop. Nobody seemed to have noticed anything, not even his pit crew. It was almost like nothing had happened, like he didn't exist._

Lightning jerked awake to find Sally sitting in front of him. He backed away quickly and hit the wall of his cone.

"Hey, it's all right, I'm not going to hurt you."

_I've got to get out of here. _He glanced around the cone, and shot out the open door into the cool night air.

"Stickers!" Sally hurried after him. "Are you okay?"

"I – I don't – " His breath was coming in short gasps.

"Is something wrong? Do you need me to get Doc?"

"No, it's all under control, Sheriff. You're okay, aren't you, Stickers?"

"I – I'm fine."

"Are you sure? You ain't looking so good, son."

Lightning took a deep breath and turned to face the old police car.

"I'm fine, Sheriff, really."

"Well, you know where Doc is if you need him." Sheriff said, not looking particularly convinced.

Sally waited for him to drive away before she spoke again.

"He's right, you don't look so good."

"It was just a bad dream." He muttered.

"You should get back to your cone. Doc's right, tomorrow's going to be a real test."

Once she'd seen Lightning back into his cone, Sally headed into the town. Flo was just closing for the night, but it wasn't her Sally was looking for. She drove passed the café and around the corner to Doc's surgery.

Doc too was just shutting up for the night when Sally appeared. He switched the old radio off and was about to turn the light off when someone knocked in the garage doors. He flicked the switch to open the doors and discovered Sally on the other side.

"What can I do for you, Sally?"

"I just wanted to ask you a favour, about tomorrow."

"Okay, go ahead."

"Would you keep an eye on Lightning? Something's bothering him, but he won't say what it is, and I don't want to press him. Whatever it is really upset him just now."

"I can do that." Doc nodded. "Sheriff already came by asking me to do the same thing."


	4. Chapter 4

_Disclaimer: Don't own cars._

* * *

**Making It Through**

**Chapter 4**

"_All racers to the start line._"

"Go on, kid, you'll be fine." Doc reassured Lightning before he headed out to the track. The younger car had been pacing back and forth all morning, not something he normally did, and he wasn't able to settle on the test laps they'd done earlier in the day either.

Lightning hesitated, glancing at his friends. He thought of them, and Sally back in the town, and followed the line of cars leaving the pit lane to begin the race. He was starting from the back row of the grid after missing the previous race.

"_Gentlemen, start your engines._"

Lightning quickly started his engine and revved it a few times, trying to ignore the cold feeling that settled in his tank. The green flag dropped and the race began.

One hundred laps into the race saw Lightning in the middle of the pack. Chick was yet to get up to his usual tricks, and Junior was giving the green racer a run for his money.

"Come on, kid, you're doing great." Doc encouraged him to keep going.

"Thanks Doc." Lightning passed the car in fourth place and found himself behind Junior. He drove along side him as they went around a bend in the track.

"The King said hi!" Junior called across to him.

"Tell him I said hi back."

"Will do."

"Cheers." Lightning edged forwards until he was in front of Junior.

He found he didn't recognise the car between himself and Chick. He risked a glance at the infield tower as he sped by the pits.

"Hey, Doc, is this guy a rookie?"

"Yeah, it's his first season. I heard his crew chief talking to him in the pits. Seems he was pretty nervous."

"Which team is he with?"

"He's the new star of Dinoco. I think Tex spotted him in one of the lower leagues."

The car disappeared, leaving Lightning in Chick's draft.

"Where'd he go?"

Doc noticed the slight panic in Lightning's voice. "It's okay, he just pitted." He replied calmly. "Alright, kid, you've got plenty of time. Just be careful out there."

Lightning crept closer to Chick, wondering if he could catch him out. He slipped to one side, but Chick quickly swerved in front of him. He adjusted his steering and lost his grip on the grass.

"No, no, no, no, no!"

_Thud._

"Oomph."

"Hey, kid, are you okay, or do you need me to send Mater out there to bring you in?"

"I'm okay." Lightning reversed away from the wall of tyres and back onto the track.

He glanced at the screen again, Chick was laughing.

"Go easy, kid. You've got fifty laps to get ahead of him." Doc spotted the expression on his face.

At his words, the nightmare came back to him. He quickly shook his head, needing to concentrate on the race.

"I've got to do this, Doc. I won't take any more crap from him."

The radio fell silent for a moment.

"Don't do anything you'll regret."

Lightning drew up alongside Chick, but the green car ignored him. He risked a little more speed, pulling a fender width in front. Just as Chick made to swerve into him, he felt something snap. He was still pressing on his accelerator, but he was losing speed. He released the pressure and applied his brakes instead.

"Lightning, what's wrong?"

"I – I don't know. Nothing hurts." Lightning let his engine idle for a moment. There was still no pain. "I'm going to carry on."

"Be careful."

Lightning gingerly put his accelerator down. Nothing happened.

"Doc…I can't move."

* * *

**Author's Note:** I'm sure a few people may have noticed that I've not been updating recently. Part of the reason for this is that I've lost my motivation to continue with my cars fanfiction. I know I've said before that I will finish the stories I started, but right now that possibility is very slim. I will try to get this one finished, but after that I can't say what will happen. I may get my old flow back, but I may not.

Another reason why I've not been updating is because nobody has been reviewing. I've had one review for this story since I posted it online, another reason why I'm reluctant to edit my work. I don't like begging for reviews, as I prefer letting people choose rather than pressuring them. I'm only going to say this once - if I don't get any more reviews, I won't be posting the rest of the story. If you want to see how it ends (and it will be different from the first version), you'll just have tp send me a review.


	5. Chapter 5

_Disclaimer: Don't own cars._

**Author's Note:** It might be an idea for you to go back and read the end of the last chapter in order for this one to make much sense.

* * *

**Making It Through**

**Chapter 5**

Sally stared at the screen, hardly hearing the words from the commentators as Mater towed Lightning back to the pits while Chick did a celebratory lap.

"_Looking back at last season, this one really isn't going so well for McQueen. This season has been plagued with problems for the Radiator Springs team._"

"_Chick is sure to be in his element now, Darrell. That makes two races where he's won. I bet a lot of cars will be hoping McQueen is fit to race again this season, though from the looks what happened back there, he won't be in the next race._"

There was a group of cars Sally could think of that would certainly be hoping Lightning was fit to race again that season. Most of them were his pit crew, but all of them, including the ones not in the crew, were his friends.

She watched as the camera followed Mater across the pits to the trailers, where he gently lowered Lightning beside Mack's trailer, where the rest of the Radiator Springs crew waited anxiously.

At the track Doc quickly got off the crew chief's podium and went to meet Mater and Lightning by the trailer. Lightning stayed where he was when Mater lowered him.

"I'm sorry, Doc. I don't know what happened." He said miserably.

Doc's heart went out to the young car. "Let's just get you home."

Mack appeared in that moment. Doc turned to him, not willing to leave Lightning alone for long in his depressed state.

"Is there space in the trailer for me to ride with Lightning, Mack?"

Mack studied the trailer, apparently doing some calculations in his head.

"I think so, might be a bit cramped though." He said after a short pause.

"We'll manage. Get hooked up, Mack."

Doc gently guided Lightning up the ramp into the back as the reporters began to crowd around.

* * *

Lightning slept for a lot of the journey back to Radiator Springs, under the watchful eye of Doc. The Hornet was watching the sky outside gradually getting dark when the trailer phone rang.

"Doc Hudson."

"It's Sally. How's Lightning? We all saw what happened."

"He's sleeping at the moment."

"Is he gonna be okay?"

Doc felt his heart go out to Sally at the worry evident in her voice.

"He should be, but I don't think he'll be racing for a while."

He turned back to Lightning just as the racer's eyes flickered open.

"I guess you'll be keeping him in your surgery for a while, then?"

"Until he's better." Doc indicated to the phone, but Lightning shook his head. He wasn't in the mood to talk to anyone. "We'll be back soon, Sally."

* * *

Sally stood in the middle of the dark street, waiting as patiently as she could for Mack to return with Doc and Lightning. She'd been waiting there ever since she'd put the phone down, and so far the only lights she'd seen approaching the town belonged to Ramone.

"Please be okay, Stickers." She whispered for what had to be the hundredth time.

She spotted more lights ahead, enough to be Mack and the Radiator Springs team. The moment Sheriff emerged from the dip in the road a few metres away she turned and headed back to the town where the others were gathered at Flo's.

Not all of the cars went to the races every time. That time Sarge, Fillmore, Guido, Luigi, Sheriff, Doc and Mater had gone with Mack and Lightning.

"They're coming." She said, as Sheriff pulled up beside her.

"Mack's going straight around to the surgery. Doc wants you to join them, Sally."

"Right." She nodded as the truck went passed.

"Howdy, Miss Sally!" Mater followed Mack through the town.

"Hey, Mater. How's Lightning doing?" Sally caught up with him.

"He reminds me of how you was when you got here."

"Doc should be able to fix him up again then." She tried to sound positive, but doubt was creeping into her mind.

When she and Mater reached Doc's surgery, Mack was already lowering the door that doubled as a ramp. Doc backed out slowly, guiding Lightning forwards. Sally bit her lip as he emerged into the dim light. Lightning looked so unhappy, but what concerned her most was his apparent inability to drive at all. As Doc gently nudged Lightning forwards, she called out to him.

"Doc!"

He turned to face her while Lightning disappeared through the doors.

"Will you be able to fix him? He looks so bad."

"That depends on what injuries I find."

"I know you'll do your best, Doc." Sally glanced back at the café. "I don't think any of us want to lose him."

"I know that, Sally, I know."

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks to all the people that reviewed the last chapter. It's taken a while, but you've persuaded me to keep going with this story...for the moment. I'm still struggling with the ending, even though I know what I want to happen...writing it is another matter entirely. Hopefully there'll be another chapter online soon.


	6. Chapter 6

_Disclaimer: Don't own Cars._

* * *

**Making It Through**

Sally sat alone near the Wheel Well motel. She'd gone to Flo's Café for a while, but found she would prefer to be alone. She'd made her excuses and driven off.

She'd found a small, rocky path that was just wide enough for a car some time ago. It was a little beyond motel, and quite well hidden. Above her the stars glinted innocently in the night sky. The wind blew across the entrance, which was just far enough away that a car looking in wouldn't see her, unless they h ad their headlights on, but close enough that she could see there was a car at the entrance.

She caught the distant rumble of an engine or two on the wind and reversed deeper into the small gully. The engines came close until they stopped very close to where she was hidden.

"Sally?"

She recognised the voice instantly. It was Sheriff, but still she remained silent and out of sight.

"Did you see her at all today, Sheriff?"

"No, I've been out by the sign all day. I'm just going on what Flo told me when I got back."

"She came to me too, late yesterday."

Sally frowned slightly. She was sure that second voice belonged to Doc, though she hadn't heard him clearly concerned that many times.

"She said Sally seemed pretty low after we got back from the race yesterday, and would I go and look for her. I have to admit, she didn't stay long at the café last night." Sheriff said.

"She likes Lightning more than she's been letting on, though I think something is holding her back from showing her true feelings for him." Doc replied.

There was a short pause. Sally inched forwards, trying not to make a sound.

"Where was she the last time you found her?" Sheriff spoke again.

"She was up here."

She crept forwards a little more. A twig snapped under her tyre, the sound echoed off the walls.

"Did you hear that?" Doc asked.

"_Someone's_ up here, besides us I mean."

Sally watched the light from a pair of headlights drawing closer to her hiding spot. She took a slow, deep breath, making no more noise and hoping neither car would find her.

"Sally?" Doc called softly.

"I don't think she's here, Doc."

"No, it's her. She just doesn't want to be seen."

She moved forwards again, this time catching a small bush. The two cars outside fell silent and the headlights disappeared.

"We should get back. They'll be wondering where we've gone, besides, Lightning –"

"He can wait a bit longer."

"But, Doc – "

"I know Sally's here. You go if you must. I'm not leaving here all night."

An engine revved and faded into the night. Sally sat where she was for a moment before she slowly drove forwards and emerged into the weak moonlight. A car sat at the top of the cliff, looking into the valley below.

"I know Lightning means a lot to you, Sally. I could see it in your eyes when you spoke to me outside my surgery yesterday." Doc solemnly turned to face her and switched his headlights on.

Sally recoiled but didn't try to run away from him.

"They're worried about you, Sally, and frankly so am I."

"Yeah, I heard." Sally sighed.

"Don't stay out here too long, Sally." Doc said gently. "It won't do you any good to be out all night."

Sally lowered her eyes to the ground.

"He's going to be okay. The repairs I made last time held out. There was a lot of strain on one of the wires, but he's fine now. A bit more rest and he should be back to normal."

"Thanks, Doc."

"Don't stay out here too long." Doc repeated as he turned and drove off.

Sally went to the cliff top and gazed at the moonlit monuments below. After a few minutes she followed Doc and Sheriff back to the town.

* * *

Lightning woke slowly, once more aware of bleeps coming from somewhere in the room.

"You've got to stop scaring us, kid."

He grinned, despite the aches. "Sorry, Doc, but I thought you could do with some work."

Doc chuckled. "You really are something, hotrod."

Lightning stretched and yawned.

"Thanks for fixing me up…again."

"You're one of us now, kid. You might want to see Ramone, you got a few scratches in that last race."

"Sure, thanks, Doc."

Doc lowered the lift. "We'll get you back into your training at the weekend."

The doors flew open as Sheriff drove in, stopping just before he hit anything.

"I hope you're up to visitors, son."

"Oh, who?"

"Why don't you go and find out. I think you're okay to leave." Doc carefully removed the wires attached to the younger racer.

Lightning winced slightly when he accelerated and quickly stopped again. Doc put a tyre on his side.

"Take it easy, Lightning. You'll be fine in a few days. If the pain gets too much just come and find me."

Lightning nodded and followed Sheriff out of the clinic at a painfully slow speed. Turning onto the main road in town he came up against some reporters. Usually they were banned from the town, so their presence surprised him.

"Hey, it's McQueen!" One of them yelled.

Suddenly he found himself facing flashing bulbs and cameras.

"How are you feeling, McQueen?"

"Will you be racing again this season?"

"How are you going to take the lead back from Chick?"

Questions came at him from all sides.

"Whoa, Doc's only just released me!"

Doc drove up along side Lightning and Sheriff. The two older cars shared a look of exasperation.

"I think you know what to do, Sheriff." Doc said.

Within five minutes the town was clear of reporters. Lightning turned towards Flo's and stopped.

"You okay, kid?" Doc asked him quietly.

"Yeah, I think so."

Lightning drove forwards hesitantly, not quite believing what he was seeing. Mack was talking to a light blue semi. A trailer of the same shade advertising Dinoco was parked at the side of the Cozy Cone motel, but it wasn't the trailer or the semi that he was looking at, it was the pair of light blue cars talking to Flo and Ramone he was more interested in. One of them turned around as he approached with Doc.

"Hey, buddy."

"Well hi, Mr The King. I wasn't expecting to see you here."

"I'm not racing anymore, Lightning. Call me Strip Weathers."

"We saw what happened in your last race, had to come out and see how you're doing." Mrs Weathers smiled at him.

"I'm doing okay, thanks to Doc here. How are you doing, Strip?" Lightning asked, wondering how the recently retired racer was after the incident at the tiebreaker race.

"Can't complain." Strip shrugged.

* * *

Sally cast a glance along the road before heading to the café. She'd seen Sheriff herding a few reporters out of the town and wanted to keep out of their way. As she drove down the main street she spotted a pale blue semi talking to Mack. It wasn't unusual for racecars to pass through the town; in fact in the off-season it was quite common to see a guest racer or two. She suddenly caught sight of the two blue cars talking to Doc and Lightning and stopped where she was.

"Actually we're looking for somewhere to settle down now I'm not racing any more. Since we decided to come out here to see you, we thought we'd take a look around."

"You're welcome to stay a while. I'm sure Sally can find you a room."

Their voices drifted along the road to her. She saw Lightning nudge Doc and turn to face her.

"Coming to join us, Sally?" Lightning called.

She rolled forwards slowly, keeping her eyes averted as introductions were made.

"Think you can find space for Mr Weather and his wife to stay a while?" Doc asked her.

"Um, I'm not sure, I'll have to check." Sally bit her lip, determinedly not looking at anyone. "Excuse me." She turned and drove off.

"Oh dear. She's not been herself lately." Doc explained. "I found her out by the Wheel Well Motel quite late a few nights back."

"There's something about her that seems very familiar, don't you agree, honey?" Lynda Weathers was still looking down the road after Sally.

"I was just wondering how she ended up out here." Strip answered.

"She was an attorney in LA. All I know is she had enough, left LA and broke down near here. We all helped her back to her wheels, and she's never left." Doc too was staring after her. "Would you excuse me for a moment?" He drove off after the Porsche.

* * *

Sally was sitting as Willy's Butte when Doc found her. He drove onto the track and stopped beside her. Neither spoke for a few minutes.

"Hey, Doc."

"Is something wrong, Sally? I get the impression there's something you're not telling us."

"It's nothing."

"I want to help you, Sally."

Sally sighed quietly. "Lightning being injured reminded me of my parents, that's all."

Doc stayed silent, sensing there was more.

"Actually that's not all. I was wondering how the race people would know who to contact if a racer died." She sighed again. "I got separated from my parents when I was three. Dad was a racer. We were in the pits after the race and a load of reporters and fans got between us. One of the security guards found me. He took me to an orphanage when they couldn't find my parents. Meeting Lightning made me want to find them. I actually found out who my real parents are just after the season ended last year."

* * *

"How's life now you're not racing?" Lightning sat with Strip and Lynda at the V8 Café.

"It's been good to us so far. Mr Tex has been by a few times. Actually he lent us Matt over there for an indefinite period."

"I guess it must be nice to settle down with your family." Lightning said a little wistfully, though none of the others noticed.

"Not our entire family." Lynda said. "We had a daughter once. We got separated a while back. We never did find out what happened to her."

"Well I hope you find out soon. Split families are…difficult."

They sat in silence for a few minutes before Lightning spoke again.

"How about I show you around? I can't go too fast at the moment, but I can still drive."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. What do you think, dear?" Mr Weathers turned to the car on his other side.

"I couldn't possibly say no to such a nice offer." Lynda agreed.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter. After this one there are another three finished. I'm still working on Chapter 10, as I have been doing for many months - I know how I want to end the story, but reaching the end is taking some time...the words just won't come at the moment.


	7. Chapter 7

_Disclaimer: I do not own Cars._

* * *

**Making It Through**

**Chapter 7**

The sun was setting before Doc and Sally returned. She went straight into the Cozy Cone motel while he carried on to the café. That was where he found the rest of the Radiator Springs cars, minus Sarge and Sheriff, talking to the visitors. He had a good idea where Sheriff might be, but Sarge's lack of appearance had him perplexed.

"Where's Sarge?" He asked Flo when she gave him his usual drink.

"With Sheriff." Flo replied casually. "The reporters are being a pain and Sheriff wanted back up. Where've you been, Doc, we haven't seen you all day."

"I've been with Sally. Just talking to her. She had a few things on her mind."

"Is she okay?"

"I think so. There were a few things she needed to talk about."

"I'm glad you managed to help her, Doc." Lightning said, having overheard their conversation.

"For now."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You'll find out, kid." Doc turned to The King and his wife. "I can take you over to the Cozy Cone now if you want? Sally asked me to give her five minutes."

"I'm heading down that way in a minute, Doc. I can take them."

"It might be better for you to wait here, kid. There's something Sally needs to do."

Lightning watched Doc leading the two light blue cars towards the motel. When he looked back ad Flo, Ramone and the others he found they too looked puzzled.

* * *

"Sally?"

"Hang on a minute!"

Sally backed out of the one of the cones and into the reception of the motel. Doc was waiting for her with Strip and Lynda.

"Have you got space here or have I got to take them out to Wheel Well?"

"There's space here, Doc." She looked down at the records in front of her. "Cones three and four. I'm afraid we don't have any double cones at the moment."

"It's okay, dear."

"If there's anything else you want, don't be afraid to ask."

"Thank you, Miss Sally." The King glanced at his wife, who gave a small nod. "Actually there was something we wanted to ask you. It might seem a little odd, but we wanted to ask about your parents."

Sally looked at Doc, now standing behind the two cars.

"Tell them, Sally."

Strip turned to Doc for a moment before returning to the young car in front of them.

"I know you had a daughter once." Sally began, still looking at Doc. "I know you became separated at the races."

"How? We never saw you when we were talking to Lightning." Mr Weathers looked politely puzzled.

"I wasn't there when you told Lightning. I was out at Willy's Butte telling Doc." Sally paused. Her gaze went back to the racer, now watching her intently. "I'm the daughter you lost. Nobody knew who I was with at the races that day. When they found me I wasn't in the pits, I wasn't anywhere near them. They took me to an orphanage. I wanted to tell them who I was, but I couldn't." She reached into the back of a shelf and pulled out an official looking sheet of paper. She handed it to Strip with a shaking wheel.

He looked down at it, wondering what it was, thinking it might have been a photograph or an old newspaper article. But it was neither, it was an extended birth certificate with details of her parentage on it.

_Mother: Mrs Lynda Weathers._

_Father: Mr Strip Weathers._

_Full Name: Sally Elena Weathers._

He silently passed it to Lynda. Sally was now staring at the floor.

"How long have you known?" He asked her quietly.

"Since the end of last season." She whispered her reply to the tiles.

Doc reversed quietly out of the Cozy Cone without any of the other three cars noticing. He returned to the café and parked in his usual place, knowing the inhabitants of Radiator Springs would want to know what was going on with Sally and the Weathers, but it wasn't his place to tell them, that was her job to do when she was ready, and said so when Mater asked.

* * *

Lightning drifted easily around the corner and came to a stop beside Doc. The older racer was grinning broadly after the good training session.

"I think you'll be okay to race on Sunday."

"Thanks for helping me, Doc. I'd thank Mr Weathers too, but I know where he is at the moment."

"I think Sally's taken them for a day out."

It was coming up to two months since Sally told her friends in Radiator Springs that The King and his wife were her actual parents. During those two months the three cars had spent a lot of time together, getting to know one another all over again. Things seemed to be going well for them, and Lightning was happy to see Sally spending time with her parents, especially after so long apart.

His thoughts would often drift to his own parents. He hadn't heard from them since moving to America a few years ago. Things hadn't been going well between his mother and father, and as a result he didn't know what their situation would be like now.

"Something on your mind, kid?" Doc noticed Lightning's quietness as they drove back to Radiator Springs together.

"Just thinking about my parents. I haven't seen them for a while."

"You could always visit them."

"That's just it. I know they live in England, but I don't know where. I don't even have a phone number for them."

"I'm sure they can contact you if they need to, kid."

"Yeah, I guess."

Doc watched the young car as he returned to the Cozy Cone. Just like the time they'd returned from the second race of the season, he had a feeling Lightning was hiding something.

* * *

"Thank you for today, Sally."

"You're welcome, dad."

"I'm glad we found you. Your father was off his racing for months after we lost you, and nobody besides us knew why."

"Didn't you try to look for me?"

"We did look at first, but after two years we had to give up. All traces of you had vanished."

Lightning crept towards the window of his Cozy Cone. He knew Sally didn't know he was there. He watched her with her parents for a moment before retreating to the far corner of the cone again.

As Sally drove into the reception of the motel she noticed the door to Lightning's cone was shut. He normally left it open during the day, often when he wasn't in there. Most of his belongings were stored in Doc's garage until his new racing headquarters were finished. She wondered why he was hiding in there so late in the day. Only yesterday she'd heard Doc making arrangements with him to go out to Willy's Butte. It didn't make much sense to her, but then Lightning hadn't really been himself over the last few days. She just assumed it was nerves before the race, but he wasn't normally that bad. Thinking back she realised he hadn't really been himself since the last race he'd been to, most notably since Strip and Lynda Weathers had been in the town.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Again, many thanks to the people that have reviewed so far. I really appreciate the comments I've been getting. Unfortunately it's still slow going with the ending, but hopefully I'll be able to get that sorted soon. I only seem to have one review for the last chapter - thanks Ted! I'm going to need more than that to encourage me to keep going.


	8. Chapter 8

_Disclaimer: Don't own Cars, do own Steve, Matt, Lilia and Samuel, if you want to borrow them, ask me first, okay?_

_Special thanks to Ted and raerobgal for reviewing the last chapter._

* * *

**Making It Through**

**Chapter 8**

The day of the fifth from final race in the season arrived. Lightning retreated into his Cozy Cone early the night before, leaving the others at the café to make final arrangements for travelling the next day. He'd not really spoken much at all that day, except to thank The King for helping him with his training. Doc was now surer than ever that something was bothering the young racer.

As the time of the race start drew nearer Lightning began to pace back and forth in the pits.

"Save your energy, rookie." Doc told him gently.

Lightning parked beside Doc's usual post, but still couldn't sit entirely still. With half an hour to go the rest of the crew appeared, and Doc banished Lightning from their pit so he wouldn't get in the way. The younger racer resumed his pacing by the trailer and kept scanning the stands and pits.

"Sally is coming, isn't she?" Lightning asked yet again when Doc came to get him.

"She promised to come with her parents." Doc replied patiently.

Mack wisely kept out of the way, well used to Lightning's anxious pacing before races.

Matt turned up with Strip, Lynda and Sally just as Lightning headed out onto the track. He pulled up beside Lighting's trailer and let the three cars out. Sally went straight over to where Doc sat with the others while The King carefully extracted himself and his wife from the middle of some reporters.

"Lightning's been asking after you all morning." Doc glanced down at Sally from the top of his stand.

Sally grinned. "I can imagine." She looked at the red car as he sped passed on the track, warming his tyres up. "Is he alright, Doc?"

"I don't know, Sally. He hasn't really said much since we left this morning."

"He doesn't look so good." Strip's voice joined the conversation. "You'd better keep an eye on him."

"I won't be doing anything else today."

* * *

Halfway through the race found Lightning towards the front of the pack. Chick was a few places ahead, but easily reachable. Lightning focussed on the green car and leaned into a corner.

"You're doing great, Lightning." Doc followed the #95 car around the track from where he sat. "Junior's coming up behind you."

"I see him." Lightning made a slight adjustment to his steering and sped up.

"Go steady, Lightning. You've got a long way to go yet."

The next few laps went by quite unremarkably. Lightning gained a few places and was about to make a move on Chick when it happened.

One of the leading cars lost traction without warning and lost control. Chick was able to move out of the way in time, Lightning wasn't so fortunate. He tried to go around the outside, but the car behind had just moved out and was too close to him. They touched briefly, enough to send them both spinning across the track. The other car regained control of his steering and carried on, but it was too late for Lightning. His back tyres caught the grass. The sudden change in speed sent him flipping across the grass. He came to a stop when he hit the pit wall.

"Lightning!" Sally's scream cut through the ensuing chaos. "You've got to do something, Doc, please!" She turned to him, tears pouring down her hood.

Doc could only watch and wait until it was safe to go onto the track. The moment Lightning had stopped spinning and the safety flags were out, he threw the headset to the side and sped onto the track.

"Lightning!"

Sally made to follow Doc, but Lynda quickly held her back. Sally fought against her, desperate to reach Lightning. Strip saw what was happening and went to help his wife. Track medics had reached Doc and Lightning; it was better not to let anyone else join them.

Sally gave up the fight when her father appeared and let the tears fall freely down her face. Lynda held her daughter close as Strip joined them. She knew very well how difficult the wait could be.

* * *

All eyes turned to Doc when he returned. At the side of the track the medics were loading Lightning into the waiting ambulance.

"How is he?" Strip asked.

"He's in a bad way. I didn't get any response from him. They're taking him to a hospital in Phoenix. I'm going to follow them." Doc turned away from the team to compose himself.

Strip looked back at the others. After Sally, Mater was the worst affected. He saw Sarge and Fillmore sit beside the weeping tow truck, shortly followed by Mack.

"We need to get in touch with any family he has." Doc muttered, his voice shaking very slightly. "Strip, can I put you in charge of that?"

"You can, Doc." Strip nodded.

Sheriff joined them quietly. Doc knew he was sensitive about car crashes, and for a very good reason.

"I'm going to take them home." The police cruiser said after a moment. "You'll phone us when there's any news?"

Doc nodded, no longer able to speak.

* * *

Meanwhile somewhere in England a dark red car sat watching motor racing on television. He tuned in to the American races as often as he could, just so he could see his son was still alright. He might not have spoken to his son for many years, but he still supported him, even if the lad didn't know it.

With incident on the track that came, Samuel McQueen sympathised with his son. He knew it was only the second season of racing for Lightning, but after last season he had been sure Lightning would be doing better than he currently was.

Samuel's gaze moved to a picture on the wall. That one had been taken in better times, when the family was whole, not the split family they were now. A thirteen-year-old Lightning sat between his proud mother and father, yet to by fully grown. Within three years he had moved out to America. Samuel's wife hadn't liked him supporting Lightning's decision so thoroughly. She wanted Lightning to have a good, reliable job, preferably where he wasn't risking his life every two Sundays.

Two years after Lightning had gone so had Lilia McQueen. Samuel had since lost contact with both of them.

The commentators on the television fell silent. His gaze returned to the race just in time to see his son rolling on the grass. He watched the flurry of activity from the track medics, and Lightning's crew chief, and immediately made his mind up.

"Steve, how soon can we get out to America?" He spoke to his driver on the phone, but his eyes remained firmly fixed on the screen.

"Tomorrow soon enough?"

"Tomorrow's fine. I just hope it's not too late."

"You watching that Piston Cup race?" Steve was one of the few that Samuel spoke to about his family.

"Yeah, and my son just crashed out. Do you think you can find Radiator Springs? It's on Route 66."

"Which state?"

"Arizona, I think."

"I'll get the maps out."

"Thanks, Steve. I owe you one."

"If I had ten quid for every time you said that to me I'd be a rich truck."

Samuel rolled his eyes.

"I'll pick you up at seven." Steve said.

* * *

**Author's Note:** I know absolutely nothing about NASCAR, so I based the information in this chapter on Formula 1. The reason why I based Radiator Springs in Arizona is because of where Route 66 runs in relation to Monument Valley and Interstate 40. Old maps can be very useful sometimes. There's a bit of family history for Lightning in here too, though I know everyone does it differently.

Assuming I get some reviews for this chapter, I should be able to update fairly quickly, though the next chapter is the last completed one I've got, thanks to writer's block on chapter 10.


	9. Chapter 9

_Disclaimer: I do not own Cars. I do own Samuel McQueen, Lilia McQueen. If you want to use them, ask me first, OK?_

Thanks to raerobgal, ponygirl-loves-mcqueen and Cycochics321 for reviewing the last chapter.

**

* * *

**

Making It Through

**Chapter 9**

Doc sat wearily in the waiting room at the hospital. It made for a lonely existence, but he couldn't pretend he wasn't used to waiting for hours on end for even the slightest bit of news. He called his friends at home once a day to keep up with what was going on there, and to keep them updated on the situation in Phoenix. He knew Sally wasn't coping well, along with one or two of the others.

The days had merged together, and Doc couldn't tell how long the waiting room had been home. He'd gone to a motel one night, but been too restless to sleep, despite the sheer exhaustion.

His eyes were growing heavy, and the hour late. He doubted he would hear anything that day. He reversed into a secluded corner and gave in to the weariness that called to him.

* * *

Samuel looked around the very quiet small town apprehensively. He had expected it to be a bit bigger than it was, and a little busier as well. He spotted a police car at the nearby café, though he seemed preoccupied over something. He thought he could make a good guess as to what was on his mind. He drove slowly over to him, though it was only when he was right in front of the Mercury that the police car noticed him.

"Can I help you, sir?" He asked.

"I'm looking for my son, or failing that one Doc Hudson."

"What's your name?"

"Samuel McQueen. I'm Lightning's father."

"Oh, well, the thing is – " He was cut off by a startled voice behind him.

"Samuel?"

He turned around, just as surprised to see his ex-wife now staring suspiciously at him.

"What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Lightning."

"But they said they couldn't get hold of you. They said your phone was engaged, and then nobody answered."

"They probably tried to get through when I was speaking to Steve – "

"You're telling me you _still_ have that truck taking you everywhere?"

"I'm a racer, Lilia." Samuel said, exasperated.

"Please, you two, put a tyre in it." The police car at the café spoke up before Lilia McQueen could comment further.

Samuel and Lilia looked at him. Neither expected him to be so grumpy, but then he was worried about one of his friends.

"Lightning isn't here." Lilia said quietly after a short pause. "He's in a hospital in Phoenix."

"Oh."

"Doc's waiting for news. I spoke to him yesterday."

"_Is_ there any news on Lightning yet?"

Lilia shook her head. "All they said was he's stable. They're not letting anyone see him yet."

"There's space at the Cozy Cone motel if you want to stay, Mr McQueen." The police car said softly. "I can get Strip to book you in."

Samuel glanced at Lilia and thought about his options. It could take some time to find out which hospital his son was in, and then even longer to find a somewhere to stay for an indefinite length of time.

With a soft sigh he nodded. "A room would be great."

* * *

"Doc."

He grunted, longing to go back to sleep and escape the emotional pain that engulfed him.

"Come on, Doc, wake up."

He blinked blearily, eventually getting the black and white panda car in focus.

"Sheriff?"

The police car glanced around the waiting room nervously, fighting back the memories that threatened to resurface.

"It's okay, Sheriff." Doc said gently, seeing his friend growing tense. "Who are the other two?" He spotted the pair of cars hovering in the corridor.

"Lightning's parents." Sheriff's voice cracked. "Excuse me."

"We'll talk later." Doc said quietly, moments before Sheriff dashed out of the building.

The two cars in the corridor drove into the room. The red car glanced at the lilac car, but she appeared not to want to look at him. Doc stretched and got to his tyres, casting a look at the clock in the corner of the room.

"Sheriff said you're Lightning's parents."

"I'm Lilia." The lilac car nodded. "We spoke yesterday."

Doc could vaguely remember the conversation now he'd managed to get a bit of sleep. He turned to the red car, noticing the stickers and a large number seven that adorned his body.

"Samuel McQueen, right?"

Lightning had let slip that his father was a racer somewhere along the way. Doc had at one point looked into racing with one of the English circuits and could just about remember coming across a McQueen.

"Yeah."

"They're taking Lightning into surgery again this afternoon, other than that I don't really know anything. Look, there's a motel not far away, maybe you should book into it for the night."

Samuel shook his head firmly. Lilia hesitated a moment.

"No. I want to be here when any news comes."

Doc was glad they'd both decided to stay. At least he had some constant company at last. There was a downside however – the tension in the waiting room seemed to grow by the second until Doc could stand it no more. He quietly excused himself on the pretence of needing fresh air. Part of him hoped Sheriff was hanging around outside, perhaps waiting for him. He knew the situation would be getting to the Mercury.

It took him a few minutes to find the police car, but after a while Doc found him at the far end of the car park, well away from the emergency entrance. Sheriff seemed to be calmer than he had been. He didn't look trapped any more, or quite so tortured.

"Sheriff." Doc stopped beside him with a nod.

"Any news?"

"Not yet. I just couldn't stand being near those two much longer."

"They haven't said much to each other as far as I'm aware. They arrived separately too, makes me think they don't live together. Plus it sounded like she doesn't like him racing, if their meeting was anything to go by."

They fell silent, each lost in their own thoughts. Doc looked sideways at Sheriff when the panda car shifted uncomfortably.

"You don't have to stick around. I know you don't like hospitals, especially since – "

"It doesn't matter, Doc. It was a long time ago."

"Time doesn't make it any easier." Doc replied softly.

"I'll find a motel or something for the night. I'll come by again before I leave." Sheriff said.

Doc nodded. "See you tomorrow, then."

He waited until Sheriff was swallowed by the traffic on the nearby road before he turned to go back into the hospital.

It was quiet inside, perhaps a little unexpected for a major hospital, but it was welcomed by Doc. He didn't want anyone bothering them. His tyres squeaked on the freshly cleaned floor as he drove back to the waiting room, though raised voices inside stopped him in his tracks.

"What? I may not have liked him racing, but at least I supported my son."

"_Our_ son, Lilia."

"Yes, because you've been a _fantastic_ father. You weren't even there when Lightning needed you! What about when he was being bullied in school, hm? Where were you then?"

"Lilia – "

"You're a useless father, Samuel McQueen. He would have been better off if I'd raised him by myself! At least then he wouldn't be doing something so pointless as racing like his old man! You should have stayed in England with your damn driver. It's not like you care about this family."

"No! Lilia, that's no true, I _do_ care. I've supported you and Lightning, haven't I? We've always had more than enough money."

"Oh you have a great way of showing you care, Samuel, always away from home with your flaming racing!"

Doc quickly dodged out of the way as the lilac Audi stormed out of the room. Samuel caught sight of him and sighed.

"We haven't been able to get on for a long time." He said as Doc joined him. "We split up just after Lightning moved to America."

"I know how hard it is, Mr McQueen. I fought a lot with my mother when I was younger."

"What she said wasn't true. I mean I _was _often away racing, but I only wanted to be able to provide for my family. I always cared. I knew Lightning was being bullied, and I did try to talk to him about it, but he didn't _want_ to talk. All I got were the names of the two sods doing it." Samuel sighed again. "When I found out Lightning was racing, I started watching the American races whenever I could, so I could keep an eye on the situation. I was always ready to fly out at a moments notice to find Lightning if things started to get out of hand again. And she accuses me of not caring!"

"What was the situation?" Doc asked cautiously, wondering if he would get some explanation for Lightning's odd behaviour in the pits before each race began.

"He's been racing against one of the kids that bullied him at school. Spitting image of his father, that one. Turned Lightning's best friend on him at one point. I really felt for Lightning when Adam started bullying him too. He was forever coming home upset. Always knew it was that Chick Hicks' fault."

* * *

**Author's Note:** A couple of references in that chapter. See if you can guess what they are (clue - they're stories I've written). I'll provide the answers when I get around to putting chapter ten up, which could be some time yet as I'm still working on it. At the moment it's 964 words. I like to get my chapters to at least 1000 words before I post them now. Hopefully it won't take too long. Assuming I can pick up from where I left off. Hopefully I'll be able to update in a couple of weeks, if not sooner - it's the Christmas holidays now, and I have a lot of free time between now and the second week of January.


	10. Chapter 10

_Disclaimer: I do not own Cars. I do own Samuel and Lilia McQueen, and Jason Brooke. If you want to use them, ask me first, OK?_

Thanks to raerobgal, Cycochics321 and PorschaThePopPrincess for reviewing the last chapter.

I think there is going to be one more chapter after this one, and then I'll be working on Quest for the Cup, though first I need to work on another character's story, as it's kind of important to Quest and Staying Strong. In the meantime, here's chapter 10.

* * *

**Making It Through**

The hours dragged on through the afternoon and into the evening. Before long Samuel started pacing back and forth across the waiting room. Doc watched his progress, realising where Lightning got his nervous side.

"Shouldn't Lilia be back by now?" Doc asked as darkness fell outside.

Lightning's mother had been gone for some five hours by then, though Samuel didn't seem too bothered.

"It's better to leave her to cool down in her own time."

"Are you sure?"

"I spent almost twenty years married to her and living in the same house as her. I should know by now." Samuel said, glancing at the nearby clock on his way passed. "We never really got on that well, but we held it together for Lightning."

They fell silent again, the only sounds in the room were the ticking of the clock in the corner and the soft squeaking of Samuel's tyres on the polished surface as he paced. Outside the room one of the doctors was called to radiology, and the nurses at the reception desk chattered and laughed noisily.

"Shouldn't they be done by now?" The red car muttered suddenly, staring at the clock again.

Doc merely shrugged. Sleep was hovering at the edge of his mind again, and he just wanted to give in to it. The nurses on reception knew where to find him when there was any news, good or bad. He figured it wouldn't make an awful lot of different at that time.

* * *

Doc awoke with a grunt some hours later when Samuel nudged him with a cold tyre. He blinked blearily and looked at Lighting's father. Samuel didn't say a word but turned towards the door. Doc followed his gaze. The car standing just inside the room was very familiar to Doc, though they hadn't seen each other for almost fifty years.

"Simon Hudson?" The Chrysler sounded surprised.

Doc found a smile sneaking onto his face.

"Hey, Jason. It's been a long time."

"Wait a minute, you _know_ him?" Samuel was looking from one to the other, completely perplexed.

"We worked together in Radiator Springs for a while." Doc replied, glancing at Samuel and turning straight back to Jason Brooke. "Is there any news on Lightning yet?"

"He came through surgery okay. The next forty-eight hours should tell us how successful it was. We'll be keeping an eye on him tonight and possibly let visitors see him tomorrow."

Doc nodded. At last a little ray of hope. He thanked Jason and looked at Samuel again.

"I'm going to get some fresh air…I – I need to think a few things over."

"Do you want to tell Lilia, or shall I?" Doc asked before he went in search of a phone.

"Maybe you should, I mean you're the kid's doctor, right? Besides, I don't want to get into another fight. I still love her, Doc, whatever it might look like."

* * *

Flo put the phone down and looked out the window at the forecourt. They'd closed the town almost the moment the team had returned the week before, much to the disappointment of the press and those wanting to visit the little town. Sheriff agreed with them; they needed time to come to terms with what was going on in Phoenix, especially Sally. The young Porsche had struggled through the last week with the help of her friends and parents. They'd all stuck together as usual, helping each other out where necessary. Red was easily the bravest of all of them. He might have been quite sensitive most of the time, but in that last week he'd held them all together, putting on a brave face and trying to keep his friends positive. Flo, Ramone, Sarge and Fillmore followed his lead, though it wasn't so easy for the rest.

Even though it was early there were already vehicles waiting at the café. With a glance at the phone she went out to greet them. It was a difficult decision, but she thought it would be better to wait for all of them to be there before she passed on the news Doc had just given her over the phone. She tried to put on a friendly, welcoming smile as she went to serve her friends.

* * *

At the hospital Doc found himself alone in the waiting room. He hadn't seen Samuel since he'd gone to get some air in the night, nor had he seen Lilia since the evening before. Something told him they would be around somewhere, perhaps at a nearby hotel like Sheriff.

His theory was confirmed when Sheriff turned up with Lilia right behind him, though Samuel remained absent for a further hour. By the time Lightning's father arrived Sheriff had been forced into the parking lot again. Doc had followed him, and for most of the hour sat talking to him about various topics, though skirting around the real reason why he'd gone out there. The pair greeted Samuel in the parking lot and went back into the hospital waiting room with him so he wasn't stuck alone with his wife.

True to his word, Doc told Lilia what Jason had told him and Samuel the night before. Relief spread across her face, even though Doc warned her it didn't mean Lightning was out of the woods yet.

"But he's getting better, right?" She asked, almost demanding an answer.

"It's a good sign that he survived the surgery, but there's still time for something to go wrong."

"You're very positive." She muttered under her breath, though Doc still heard her.

"I'm a doctor. It's my job to make sure relatives of patients understand the situations they're in." Doc replied sharply. "All I'm saying is that we have to be prepared for the worst to happen until we know otherwise."

An uneasy silence fell over the group. Doc turned his pained eyes away from the others as his vision blurred with unshed tears.

"Sorry." He said quietly, his voice surprisingly steady. "I didn't mean to snap."

"We're all worried." Sheriff forgot his fears for a moment.

* * *

It was almost the middle of the day by the time Jason appeared. He took in the anxious group with a small smile.

"You can go and see him. He's not woken yet, but he's improving slowly."

The four cars looked at each other, all hesitant to go, though the news was good.

"Family first." Doc said, and turned away again.

He waited for the familiar soft click of the door shutting before facing the room again. He was mildly surprised to find Sheriff was still there, and watching him in concern.

"Lightning's a fighter. He'll be OK." Sheriff reassured his friend.

* * *

**Author's Note:** And there's chapter 10. I'm working on chapter 11 at the moment, so it should hopefully be up soon, possibly by the end of the year. As I said earlier, I think this is the second to last chapter. I've got something to work on when I'm done with this one, and then I'll be moving on to Quest. I will be deleting the current Quest for the Cup story, so if you've favourited it/alerted it, you might want to make sure I'm on your alert list so you know when the new one appears.


	11. Chapter 11

Whew, it's finally finished! Not sure I like this chapter much, so I may end up having to rewrite it at some point. It took me 10 days to write the first version of this story - this version took me 4 months.

_Disclaimer: Don't own Cars, do own Jason Brooke - ask me if you want to borrow him._

* * *

**Making It Through**

**Chapter 11**

Doc sat by the window in the waiting room while Sheriff settled tensely in a corner, both waiting for Samuel and Lilia to return. Doc let his mind wander back over his crash in 1954 and his arrival in Radiator Springs. Family was important. Whatever happened, he hoped Lightning's parents would find some way of putting their arguments behind them in order to help their son. He knew Lightning was in for a long recovery, and would need all the help they could give him.

He realised he should phone the others in Radiator Springs, but something held him back – he didn't want to get their hopes up only for something to go wrong and hurt them all over again. He knew that feeling all too well.

His mind had flicked over to his long dead mother when Samuel and Lilia returned after fifteen minutes. He wasn't aware of Sheriff nudging him until the police cruiser called his name as well. He turned slowly, spotting the red and lilac cars nearby. With a silent nod to Sheriff he headed out into the corridor, Sheriff right behind him, the pair heading for Lightning's room.

Neither one said anything as they sat by Lightning for a while. For once Sheriff was at ease with the situation, a feat Doc wasn't sure would be possible for long. After ten minutes of uncomfortable silence, Doc got to his tyres.

"I'm going to find Jason. I'll see you back in the waiting room."

Sheriff gave a brief nod, his mind not entirely on the current events.

Doc wandered the halls for a few hours before going in search of his old doctor friend. Sheriff would probably be worried, though it wasn't that unusual for Doc to disappear for an hour or three.

* * *

Darkness had fallen by the time Doc returned. He found Samuel and Lilia in the waiting room, though Sheriff's whereabouts were a mystery to him. It seemed Lighting's parents were in deep conversation over something, so Doc left them to it, parking in the farthest corner and sinking to the cool floor. Their waiting game was continuing for a while longer yet, though there was more hope now.

"Sheriff's gone back to the hotel." Samuel's voice came from beside Doc an undetermined time later. "He said he'll be back in the morning."

Doc nodded, wondering if they should follow the police officer. It was several nights since he'd had somewhere comfortable to sleep, and he was tired, plus there wasn't any real reason for them to stay at the hospital now, what with Lightning on the mend, but still there was something holding him back.

"We're going to head off now, back to the hotel." Lilia appeared at Samuel's side, the two had apparently made up with each other.

Doc nodded again. As uncomfortable as the floor was, he didn't particularly want to leave, even if it was only for a few hours.

* * *

Hours turned into days, and days to weeks. Sheriff returned to Radiator Springs, after making Doc swear to call every day, even if there wasn't any news for them. Samuel and Lilia stayed in Phoenix, and eventually managed to persuade Doc to return to the hotel each night.

It wasn't until some four weeks after the race that Lightning began to show signs of waking. Doc, Lilia and Samuel took it in turns to sit with him, the doctors and nurses not appearing to mind, though they were there at all hours of the day and night.

Doc arrived towards the middle of that fourth week to find Samuel and Lilia sitting just outside the hospital, apparently waiting for him. There was an air of excitement about the pair, as though something new had occurred. He pulled up beside them and waited for them to speak.

"Lightning's out of danger!" Lilia was the first to say something, clearly overjoyed by the news she bore. "Doctor Brooke thinks he's going to make a full recovery!"

"He woke in the night. Doctor Brooke spent a few hours with him, running various tests. It's the best we could have hoped for." Samuel expanded on his ex-wife's comments.

Doc nodded, glad to finally have some good news. Sally would be relieved too, along with the rest of their friends waiting anxiously in Radiator Springs.

"I need to find a phone." He said.

"We're going to find a café in the city for some breakfast. Do you want us to wait for you?" Samuel asked.

"Don't bother. I had breakfast before I left the hotel, and there are some arrangements I need to discuss with Lightning's doctor." Doc paused momentarily on his way into the building.

There was a phone near the entrance which had proved useful on a number of occasions. Doc dialled the number for Flo's café and watched Samuel and Lilia drive off together while he waited for Flo to answer.

The phone call was quick, and that done, he headed for Jason's office, hoping his friend was there and not on his rounds. He hoped Jason would trust him enough to take over Lightning's care when the young racer was well enough. He had refreshed his training under Jason's watchful eye for a few years after arriving in Radiator Springs. With some luck it would be good news, and he would be able to return home. The hospital had been home for too long, and the regular phone calls weren't quite enough to stop him missing the little town.

His thoughts turned to Lightning's parents. They seemed to be getting on well enough now. He doubted they would actually move back in with each other, but they weren't arguing so much any more, and the silences in the waiting room weren't so uncomfortable. Lightning's accident seemed to have brought the pair to their senses. Doc hoped for Lightning' sake they had patched things up between them. The young car was going to need all the help they could give him during his recovery.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Well, I finished it...eventually, and added almost 4,000 words to the story! Because of how long it took me to write this one, don't expect the new version of Quest for the Cup to be appearing very soon - that one needs a lot of work. I should also point out that parts of the current Quest and Staying Strong won't actually add up. There is also the matter of writing another story before I actually get to work on Quest, as what happens in that one affects what happens in Quest and Staying Strong. It could be some time before you hear from me again.

Thanks to everyone that has taken the time to read and review this story - I really appreciate it.


End file.
